Livestock jury member: Silke Birlenbach

Silke Birlenbach is a transformative business leader looking back on 20+ years’ experience in Life Sciences: Animal Health, Animal Nutrition and Pharmaceutical industries. “We are at the crossroads of how we produce animal protein while safeguarding the planet. We all have to make choices on how we harness the power of technology, science and people to make a difference now, for the future. As director of Innovation for Trouw Nutrition, it is my privilege to work with our teams to make strides for feeding the future.” Silke is a German national who lived and worked in global international roles ever since the start of her career. Holding a Veterinary Doctoral degree from Giessen, Germany, and advanced scientific degrees from Kansas State University and Harvard University, she joined McKinsey&Company in Germany and France, serving European Life Sciences clients for 6 years. This led her to an executive career in the Animal Health and animal Nutrition Industry, in global transformative roles, global business leadership and innovation. Silke has 3 children and loves to spend time with her family as much as she enjoys outdoor activities.

What excites you about the future of feed & food tech innovation?

Partnering with them and assisting in developing and validating their breakthrough innovations is a unique experience.

 

Why is this Challenge & the acceleration it can provide important to the future of feed & food tech?

The acceleration we provide will help them to take their business concept to the next level and ensure that the startup’s path becomes clearer how to turn good ideas into real products.

 

What are you looking for in the pitches and business plans that will be presented in this Challenge?
I’ll be looking at solutions that allow us to produce animal feed of quality in an economic and sustainable way. Looking for straightforward pitches that describe the problem to be solved/value opportunity and the solution that has been developed. Ideally, it should fit into current animal feed business model, being an innovation with the potential to disrupt the market. A pitch of a technology that creates value that has not yet been considered – something completely new-  is also certainly relevant!  A description of the solution production process and ability to scale up, in addition to estimates of investment required and projected revenues for any pitch is a must.

 

What is one piece of advice you would have for participants in the Challenge?

It is very important to reach the market with an appealing product that the customer to willing to pay for. Otherwise, it is hardly possible to have a lasting positive impact.